Daley Names School Team

Now Comes The Difficult Part: Turning Everything Around

Daley said it was important for him to set the tone early that interference from special interests, including contractors and others allied to his administration, would not be tolerated.

"Business as usual is over," Daley said. "The special interests will move to the back of the line. The bureaucrats who stand in the way of change will be removed and their powers dissolved."

Daley outlined the governing principles of the new quest, the primary one being that any changes must improve classroom performance. He also claimed a mandate to reduce the bureaucracy. Facing a $150 million school deficit this year and a budget gap double that next year, Daley said costs must be cut to establish long-term financial stability.

"We must continue to fight for every dollar in Springfield, because the state has not met its (funding) responsibility," Daley said. "But clearly we must also make progress here in controlling costs before expecting any further help from the state."

He also formally presented Chico with a list of ideas he wants implemented, including: smaller high schools; alternative high schools for students with disciplinary problems; and quicker intervention for the 149 schools that consistently fail to meet state education standards.